High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by English actor Idris Elba. Bell served as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale`s second in command, assuming direct control of the Barksdale Organization during Avon`s imprisonment. Bell attends economics classes at Baltimore City Community College and maintains a personal library, including a copy of Adam Smith`s The Wealth of Nations. He attempts to legitimize the Barksdale Organization by investing in housing properties and buying influence from politicians. His desire for a life of financial attainment and the life of the mind are evident in his apartment which is highly structured and highlights his library. He shuns chaos and his desire for clarity and order can be seen in meetings in which he insists upon adhering to Robert`s Rules of Order.